Device for the cleaning of rails by scraping, loosening, and brushing

ABSTRACT

For cleaning the top surfaces of railway rails, a vehicle (1) carried on rails, and has scrapers, looseners, and rotatable brushes. In case of wet rail, the scrapers are used to make the top surfaces of the rails dry. The looseners are used to loosen up encrustments located on the top surfaces of the rails after which the encrustments are removed by the aid of the brushes means from the top surfaces of the rails (4). The scrapers and the looseners are carried by slewing brackets connected with the chassis of the vehicle and the brushes are carried by telescopic supports connected to the chassis of the vehicle. The scrapers, looseners and brushes are operable between an inactive position of repose and an active working position. The vehicle it can be used for cleaning of rails in both directions of travel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and a device for cleaning the topsurfaces of rails.

In connection with leaves and other parts of plants falling down onrailway rails, a problem difficult to master will arise. The leaves andthe other particles contribute to a lubricating film being formed on therail with the result that the tractive ability of a locomotive isreduced due to skidding between the drive wheels of the locomotive andthe contact surface of the rail arising. As a consequence of this it maybe necessary to double the locomotive to manage propulsion of a certaintrain set. Due to leaves and particles covering the tread surface of therail the braking distance of the train set will also increase. There isalso a risk that the wheels of the locomotive and the trucks will lockin braking, with the result that the tread surfaces of the wheels willbe partially flattened out and consequently destroyed, the consequenceunfortunately being, in turn, that expensive and time-consumingrepairing measures must be taken.

Thus, there is a need to achieve cleaning of the tread surface of therail in an efficient manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of this invention to provide a method and a device forcleaning the tread surface of the rail efficiently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Illustrative examples of the invention will be described in greaterdetail below with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic lateral view of a device according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows schematically the mode of operation of the device in afirst direction of travel;

FIG. 3 shows schematically the mode of operation of the device in asecond direction of travel;

FIG. 4 is a schematic top plan view of the inventive device; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical longitudinal section of a unit carryingthe brush means in an exposed position, on a larger scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 4 that the rail cleaning device 1comprises a chassis 2 supporting a plurality of wheels 3 so designedthat the device 1 is a vehicle running on rails and, thus, can be drivenalong, for example, a railway, the two rails of which are designated by4.

The device 1 further comprises a source 6 with pressure medium in theform of for example a hydraulic oil unit comprising a Diesel engine, ahydraulic oil pump and a hydraulic oil tank. The source 6 with pressuremedium supplies a plurality of pressure medium cylinders and pressuremedium motors with pressure medium.

The device 1 further comprises four scraping means 10 which arearticulatedly connected to the chassis 2 via slewing brackets 11, 12, apressure medium cylinder 13 acting between the chassis and the slewingbracket 12 to enable an individual operation of each scraping means 10between an inactive position of repose and an active working position.The scraping means 10 comprises a plurality of replaceable scrapingelements 14 which are preferably formed of an elastic material, forexample rubber.

The device 1 further comprises four loosening means 20 which arearticulatedly connected to the chassis 2 via slewing brackets 21, 22. Apressure medium cylinder 23 is arranged to act between the slewingbracket 22 and the chassis 2 to enable an individual operation of theloosening means 20 between an inactive position of repose and an activeworking position. The loosening means 20 comprises a plate-shaped member24 preferably having on its underside a plurality of applied weld beads25 which preferably extend diagonally across the plate 24.

In the illustrative example shown, the device 1 comprises eightreversibly rotatable brush means 30 which are operable by means of atelescopic device 40 between an inactive position of repose and anactive working position. The rotatable brush means 30 preferablycomprise rolls provided with brushes, so-called circular brushes whichpreferably comprise a plurality of brush wires 31 of metal, for examplesteel, or of a plastic material. However, it should be appreciated thatother suitable brush means are also possible to use. A pressure mediummotor 32, for example a hydraulic motor, is arranged at each brush means30, which motor is reversibly rotationally operable so that each brushmeans 30 can be rotated as desired in an arbitrary direction about itsrotary shaft 33. In order to obtain the best possible cleaning resultfor the rail, the brush means 30 are somewhat inclined so that thesweeping direction of the brush means deviate a little (for example 10°)from the longitudinal direction of the rail, this inclination preferablybeing varied in different directions, as best apparent from FIG. 4.

The brush means 30 are carried by a telescopic device 40, the structureof which is shown more closely in FIG. 5. The telescopic device 40comprises an outer tube 41, preferably having a rectangular form and aninner tube 42 of a corresponding form. The outer tube 41 is sealed atits upper end by means of a plate 43 and the inner tube 42 is sealed atits lower end by means of a plate 44. The outer tube 41 is placed at thechassis 2 of the device, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 4. About the rotaryshaft 33, the brush means 30 is rotatably connected to the plate 44, andthe pressure medium motor 32 is also supported by the plate 44. Meansexerting force in the form of, for example, tensile springs 45 actbetween the plate 43 and the plate 44. These tensile springs always tendto contract the telescopic device 40 to the position in FIGS. 1 and 5,where it is brought together and, thus, the brush means are in a hoistedinactive position. Within the telescopic device 40, there is arranged apressure medium cylinder 46, the cylinder of which is disposed at theouter tube 41 (at 47) and the piston rod 49 of which is connected to theinner tube 42 (at 48). Of course, the tubes 41 and 42 have recessesenabling the connections and enabling, upon activation of the cylinder46, that its piston rod 49 can move outwards from the cylinder andexpand the telescopic device 40, so that the brush means 30 can be setat the desired contact pressure against the top surface 5 of the rail 4,this brush means 30 being in its active working position. When thetelescopic device 40 is again to be moved to contracted position, thepressure on the cylinder 46 is unloaded, and the springs 45 will be ableto contract the telescopic device to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and5. As to the cylinder 46, this can thus, if desired, be single-actingwith or without spring return, but the cylinder 46 can also bedouble-acting, there being a possibility of omitting the tensile springs45 and, thus, also using the cylinder 46 for bringing together thetelescopic device. Another possibility is to have the dead weight of thebrush means, the hydraulic motor and the inner tube of the telescopicdevice, etc. expand the telescopic device, a pressure medium cylinderbeing used for contracting the telescopic device and optionallyadjusting the contact pressure of the brush means against the topsurface of the rail. Thus, there are several alternatives, and, ofcourse, it is also possible to place the cylinder or cylinders outsidethe outer tube 41 and to place one or more tensile springs within theinner tube 42.

The device 1 of the invention operates and functions as follows. It isas feasible to use the device 1 in both directions of travel and to towit along the railway rail by means of, for example, a locomotive, but,of course, there is also a possibility of making the device run byitself, by providing it with a driving motor driving its wheels.

FIG. 2 shows schematically how the device 1 operates when propelled inthe direction of travel according to the arrow A, two of the scrapingmeans 10, two of the loosening means 20 and the eight brush means 30being set at a suitable pressure against the top surface 5 of the rails4. The brush means 30 are preferably rotated in the direction of thearrows B. The rubber scrapers 14 of the scraping means 10 scrape the topsurface 5 of the rail when the rail is wet. This means that the scrapingmeans 10 need only be used when a wet rail is present. The looseningmeans 20 will loosen encrustment occurring on the top surface 5 of therail so that this encrustment will be loosened from the rail as much aspossible. The rotary brush means 30 will sweep off the particles lyingon the rail so that the top surface 5 of the rail will be efficientlycleaned, the brush means sweeping diagonally across the rail indifferent directions.

FIG. 3 shows the mode of operation of the device 1 when propelled in adirection of travel according to the arrow C, two of the scraping means10, two of the loosening means 20 and the eight brush means 30 being setat a suitable pressure against the top surface 5 of the rails 4. Thebrush means 30 are preferably rotated in a direction according to thearrows D.

The scraper means 10 and the loosening means 20 are so arranged thatthey can spring away without any detrimental influence on the device 1if they run across an obstacle on the rail enforcing such springingaway.

It should be pointed out that protective shields should be arranged atthe brush means, but such protective details, hydraulic lines and thelike have not been shown on the drawings in order to eliminate confusingdetail.

It will be appreciated that the scraping, loosening and brush means canbe operated in another way than shown here, for instance by electricallyactuated operating means instead of such means actuated by a pressuremedium.

It will also be appreciated that there is a possibility of adjustingindividually a contact pressure on each scraping, loosening and brushmeans.

Thus, the invention is not restricted to what has been shown anddescribed, but amendments and modifications thereof are possible withinthe scope of the following claims.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for cleaning plant debris from running surfaces ofrailway rails, comprising:a chassis provided with a set of wheels forrunning longitudinally in both directions on a set of two laterallyspaced railway rails having respective upwardly presented runningsurfaces; for operative contact with the running surface of each rail, arespective brush set each comprising at least one brush and means forrotating each such brush about a generally horizontal axis arrangedgenerally transverse to said directions; for operative contact with therunning surface of each rail, two looseners, one leading the respectivesaid brush set in one of said directions and the other leading therespective said brush set in the other of said directions; for operativecontact with the running surface of each rail, two scrapers, one leadingthe respective said loosener in one of said directions and the otherleading the respective said loosener in the other of said directions;means supported on said chassis for raising and lowering the brushes ofsaid brush sets out of and into operative contact with said runningsurfaces of said rails; and means supported on said chassis for raisingand lowering said looseners out of and into operative contact with saidrunning surfaces of said rails, this means being operable to lower thoseof said looseners which lead said brushes in a selected said directionof travel of said chassis along said rails, and raise those of saidlooseners which trail said brushes in said selected said direction oftravel of said chassis along said rails; means supported on said chassisfor raising and lowering said scrapers out of and into operative contactwith said running surfaces of said rails, this means being operable tolower those of said scrapers which lead ones of said looseners that aredisposed in engagement with said running surfaces, and raise those ofsaid scrapers which trail ones of said looseners that are disposed outof engagement with said running surfaces.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein:said set of wheels includes at least two wheels disposed forengaging the running surface of one of said rails, and at least twowheels disposed for engaging the running surface of the other of saidrails; and each brush set is disposed longitudinally intermediate arespective said two of said wheels.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2,wherein:each scraper comprises a plate of rubber scraper elements. 4.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:each loosener comprises a metal platebearing a plurality of downwardly presented weld beads arranged toengage a respective said running surface at angles oblique to saiddirections.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:each said brush setcomprises at least two brushes and said means for rotating said brushescomprising means for counter-rotating each said two brushes.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 5, wherein:each said generally horizontal axis isdisposed generally obliquely of transverse to said directions.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein:each said brush comprises a roll havingprojecting wire bristles.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:saidmeans for raising and lowering said brushes comprises respectiveextensible-retractable telescopic support devices; and means forextending and retracting said telescopic support devices.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein:said means for raising and lowering saidlooseners comprises respective slewing brackets; and means for slewingsaid slewing brackets relative to said chassis.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein:said means for raising and lowering said scraperscomprises respective slewing brackets; and means for slewing saidslewing brackets relative to said chassis.